Batgirl of the Future: What Lies Within
by Watership's Nightwish Rat
Summary: Coba Brooklyn gets the chance of a lifetime when her grandfather, Dick Grayson, takes her to the Titans Tower to meet the legendary Teen Titans and learn to control her developing powers. Unfortunately, another guest there is not happy to see Nightwing or Batgirl, and things quickly get worse when a recently deceased enemy's final plan to destroy them and the Titans is launched...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is, folks: the ninth installment of the _Batgirl of the Future_ series! This time, I'm doing something a bit different. That's right: it's a crossover! I've worked on crossovers before, mind you, but none with Teen Titans. There will also be some references to Young Justice, another show I'm heavily into, but there will be more Teen Titans stuff than Young Justice. Yep, quite a bit is in store for Coba this time around, as stated in the summary. **

**Also: I have been uploading this story onto my deviantART profile (the link to which can be found on my FanFiction profile page) before posting it here. It's sort of an effort to get other people aware of these stories, but it's also an effort to get more feedback before actually posting it on FanFiction.**

**Recommended order of reading (you don't have to follow it if you don't want to, but then you miss some references to them):**

**1. Rebirth**

**2. Running Out of Inque**

**3. Remember**

**4. Eyewitness of the Past**

**5. Last Resort**

**6. The Call**

**7. Truth Be Told**

**8. In Waves (doesn't follow any episode plots)**

**9. What Lies Within (crossover)**

**Please read, review and enjoy! :D**

* * *

**Gotham**

Coba Brooklyn stood beside Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis and Dick Grayson as they watched a plane land on a runway at the airport. The sound of the engines were muffled by the building's glass walls, but were apparent to the foursome nonetheless. Coba and Bruce each felt a pang of sadness. In spite of all the recent happenings—including stopping Shriek, Spellbinder and an old enemy of Bruce's from destroying the city as well as Coba discovering she was the old man's biological daughter—Bruce was leaving for Tibet, a trip that was planned two weeks earlier. _If he hadn't said he'd go then, he would have stayed_, the small teen girl thought knowingly. _The stress on us this past week has been a lot._

"I don't have to go, you know," Wayne had said earlier as he, Terry and Coba left the manor.

Brooklyn shook her head. "You said you would," she said sagely. "Like I said before, we'll be fine. Yes, there'll be rough spots here and there, but nothing we can't handle while you're gone."

"I'm not too certain," Bruce said regretfully. "Something might happen as soon as I leave Gotham that you won't be able to handle alone. Terry will be on his own, since you'll be with Dick."

"Come on, old man," Terry chimed in, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove the car, "I was able to stop Curaré last year when you were in Tokyo."

"Are you saying you don't need me at all?"

Terry and Coba flinched at the saddened tone in Bruce's voice. "No, that's not it at all!" Coba exclaimed. "Terry couldn't even do it alone!"

McGinnis rolled his eyes. "I needed help from a computer genius," he admitted sullenly.

"Max," Bruce stated, knowing the pink-haired teen in question had indeed helped Terry, since Coba had been at Dick's with a bad case of the flu at the time while Batwoman and Ditto had other things to do. "If you need her help, keep her out of the field this time."

"I know," Terry said gruffly. "I don't like the idea of her being out there, anyway. It shook her up so bad last time."

The first Batman nodded solemnly, but said nothing. The trio would remain silent until they reached the airport.

_"All passengers for Flight 415 to the loading platform,"_ the intercom crackled, pulling Coba out of her thoughts.

"That's your flight," Dick told Bruce grimly.

Bruce nodded sagely, then turned and hugged his daughter. He waited until a brief moment after Coba hugged him back to tell her, Terry and Grayson: "If anything should happen, call me."

"Alright," Coba said for all of them, sensing the tension rising in the younger men. "We'll keep that in mind."

Wayne managed a sad grin and ruffled her hair before grabbing his luggage and heading to the loading zone. _Goodbye, Daughter_, he thought grimly.

A few minutes later, Dick, Terry and Coba were watching the plane take off. Coba felt a single tear run down her right cheek, slightly following the bottom part of her lightning bolt-shaped scar. _Goodbye, Father_, she thought, brushing the tear away.

Dick placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, then led her and her half-brother out of the airport. "Time to go, Coba," he said gently. "The others are waiting."

Terry looked at Coba a bit sadly, but managed to grin a bit. "See you later, sis," he said. _Good luck with the Titans._

Coba grinned back at him, despite her own feelings of sadness. "Goodbye, Terry." _Good luck with Gotham_, she added mentally, even though she knew he would not be able to hear her thoughts like she could his. She followed her grandfather to his motorcycle, which had a passenger sidecar on its right side specifically for when she went with him. After putting their helmets on, Dick started the motorcycle and drove off.

McGinnis walked back to where he had parked Wayne's car after watching Coba and Dick leave. _I don't know if it's Coba's psychic abilities or Bruce's paranoia rubbing off on me or what_, he thought as a chill ran down his spine, _but something tells me I'll have a lot on my plate, and Coba may not be better off._


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting the Titans

**Jump City**

**2 hours later**

Dick and Coba sped through the streets of Jump City on the Wingcycle, which they had switched to after stopping at Dick's loft to become Nightwing and Batgirl respectively. Coba looked around from the sidecar apprehensively, taking in her new surroundings. They eventually came to a stop in front of the T Tower. Dick got off of the motorcycle immediately, but it took Coba a moment to get the courage to get out of the sidecar. In spite of her excitement at finally being in front of the Teen Titans' headquarters, she could not help but feel overwhelmed by it and the strange city. _It's about the same size as Gotham and Blüdhaven_, she noted, _but it's set up rather differently. Will I ever figure out which place is where?_

Nightwing noticed his granddaughter's discomfort. He placed his right hand on her left shoulder once she stopped beside him. "Don't worry, kid," he reassured her. "It takes a bit to get used to, but you'll get it."

Batgirl managed a nervous smile as she pulled back her Batmask, revealling her secondary mask that covered the scar over her right eye. "Okay, Grandfather," she squeaked, much to her embarrassment. _Did my voice seriously just make the same sound it did when Inque held me captive almost two years ago? I'm not even that scared or in danger!_

"Welcome to the T Tower," Grayson grinned, side-hugging Brooklyn. He released her after a moment and walked to the entrance, Coba close behind him. "I'll introduce you to the others first, then—"

"—show me around the tower," Coba finished with an eager grin as they entered. "I figured as such."

"And try not to finish their sentences," Dick added, leading her through the tower. "I doubt they'll accept behavior like that right away."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"Good."

"Nightwing?" A raspy female voice sounded off behind them, causing them to turn in surprise. "What are you doing here?" The speaker looked at Batgirl somewhat threateningly. "And what's _she_ doing here?"

Dick placed a reassuring hand on Coba's shoulder once more, sensing her added discomfort, as he kept a level gaze with the woman. _I guess she didn't get the memo_, he grimly thought to the girl. "Raven, this is my granddaughter, Batgirl," he introduced. "I'm showing her around the tower."

Raven studied Coba for another tense moment, then looked at Grayson, then back at Coba. "Just stay out of my room," she said at last, turning to leave.

"Where are the others?" Grayson inquired.

"They're all in the tower, but I didn't bother to care where." Raven turned and floated back down the hallway, muttering something only Coba could hear: "What is this? Bring-the-kids-to-work day?"

Coba looked up at Grayson in confusion. "Have I done something to upset her?" she asked quietly.

"I doubt it," Dick replied, shaking his head. "She usually acts like that to hide her true emotions." _I'll explain later_, he mentally added.

"Oh, okay," Brooklyn acknowledged, though still intrigued.

"Come on," Dick said after a few seconds. "There's still a lot to see. And apparently, introductions will come along the way."

With a silent nod, Coba followed her grandfather, her excitement returning after the encounter with Raven had replaced it with apprehension. She took note of the hallways for to help her avoid getting lost in the large tower later on. _Still, I have a feeling it'll be a while before I actually get it all figured out_, she thought. Soon, she was led to a large room with a couch, an enormous television, and a kitchen to the left side of the doorway. Coba looked in awe without taking another step, her mouth slightly agape. She noticed two green figures were sitting on the couch in front of the television and heard the unmistakable clicking of video game controllers.

Just before she could ask Grayson about it, the smaller of the two gamers jumped up victoriously as the television beeped and words in the center of the screen announced "Changeling Wins!" "Yes!" he exclaimed victoriously. "Take _that_, old man!"

"Beginner's luck," the older and larger of the two grumbled. "Best two out of three?"

Nightwing chuckled. "Some things just don't change, do they, Beast Boy?" he called over to them.

The two of them turned in surprise, and the man in question blinked in shock. "Nightwing?! Dude, it's been forever!"

"Just a few decades is all," Dick grinned. "Why are you so surprised? I told you we were coming, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that was by email," Beast Boy replied. "But I didn't see you or know you lost an eye!"

Dick let out a small, stressed-out sigh. "It's a long story that'll have to wait." He gestured to Coba. "This is my granddaughter."

Beast Boy reached a hand out to Coba, who returned the gesture and shook it. "I've heard a lot about you, Batgirl," he greeted warm-heartedly.

The teen with Beast Boy looked at Coba in surprise. "Your grandfather is Nightwing?" he gasped. "Schway!" He cleared his throat, calming down and remembering his manners. "Sorry. I'm Changeling, Beast Boy's son."

"It's nice to meet you both," the girl said with a small smile.

Grayson looked Changeling over for a moment, then smirked. "You know, BB, he looks a lot like you did when you were his age."

"Yeah, everyone's been saying that," Changeling grumbled.

"Except better," the one-eyed man finished.

"Hey!" the green man exclaimed in protest. Coba covered her face in effort to hide her laughter as Changeling busted up laughing. Dick's grin only widened while Beast Boy's face turned red with embarrassment.

A brown and black giant pouched rat crawled onto Batgirl's shoulders from her backpack. He looked at Beast Boy and Changeling briefly, then got excited. "_Hey!_" he squeaked. "_Ask them if they'll turn into dinosaurs! Pleeeaaassse?_"

Coba chuckled a little. "_Okay, Ed, I'll ask,_" she said in his language, causing the two green shape-shifters to look at her in surprise. She looked back at them, but knew they had already overheard and understood Ed's request as they each turned into pteradactyls.

Ed looked up in pure delight. "_Awesome! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!_"

Beast Boy gently pet Ed after changing back to himself. "_No problem, squeaky,_"he said in good humor. He looked at Coba, impressed. "You can talk to animals?"

"Some species, yeah," Coba answered, a bit embarrassed by the added attention. "Mostly rats, cats, dogs, goldfish, geckos, horses, bats, and mice. Oh yeah, and starfish from outer space," she added.

"Schway!" Changeling exclaimed. "And I thought only Dad and I could do that!"

"Well, to be honest, I kinda cheat." Batgirl pulled out a small device from her utility belt. "Animal communicator. Unfortunately, it's lingual range is rather limited."

The young shape-shifter's eyes grew wide. "I went to school with a girl who had made those before!" He studied the girl for a long moment. "But you couldn't be her," he concluded at last. "She wouldn't be able to do the stuff you can do because of her bad leg."

Without having to ask, Coba knew Changeling knew who she really was. "Unless she designed the suit to help her meet and surpass physical standards," she countered. "Besides, a disability doesn't always define what you can and can't do," she lowered her voice, then added, "_Ian Logan_."

Changeling blinked. "Coba?" he murmured. His eyes widened as he got excited again. "Dude! I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again!"

A pale-skinned teenage boy wearing a red visor and white and red suit dashed in. "I was!" He looked at Ian. "You owe me five bucks!" Before Ian had the chance to respond, the newcomer was suddenly by Coba's side. "Hey, Coba. Miss me?" he asked cheekily.

"Bart!" Batgirl exclaimed.

"I'll take that as a yes," Bart Allen II smirked. "By the way, it's _Impulse_ now."

"Fitting name," Coba stated with a grin.

"Dang it, Impulse!" an adult male voice called from the hallway. "I try to lay down the rules and you just run off on me!"

"Sorry, Cousin Cyborg!" Bart called back. "I had to see what was going on up here!"

A large, dark skinned man with robotic parts came in right then, shaking his head despairingly. "I swear, the only thing to hold you back is a leash."

"Or food," Ian added, a large smile on his face. Bart cast an irritated look at the boy.

It was not until then that Cyborg had noticed the others in the room. "Nightwing! BB!" he cried.

"Hey Cy!" Beast Boy greeted.

Dick grinned at his old friend. "How goes it?"

"Aside from hectic because of my cousin, it's been fine," Cyborg replied. He looked at Ian and Coba. "And you are?"

"Changeling, Beast Boy's son," Ian introduced himself, shaking Cyborg by the hand.

"Batgirl," Coba said shyly, suddenly overwhelmed by the presence of the legendary heroes, "Nightwing's granddaughter."

"Nice to meet you both," Cyborg smiled. He looked at Nightwing. "If you're looking for Starfire, she's in the training room with her daughter."

"Thanks, Cyborg. Wait, what?" Grayson asked in shock. "Starfire has a daughter now?"

Beast Boy was amazed at his former teammate's bewilderment. "Well yeah," he said as though it was meant to be obvious. "How do you not know that?"

Nightwing looked at his friend sagely. "We haven't really kept in touch for about seventeen years," he confessed. "Last we spoke was a few days ago when I let her know I was bringing Batgirl to see the tower, but we kept it at that."

"I don't think having Batgirl meet Starfire's girl is a good idea," Cyborg said doubtfully.

"It isn't," Raven's hoarse voice atoned from behind.

"I'm afraid it's a chance we'll have to take," Brooklyn stated. "There's an important matter we have to discuss with Starfire."

"Can't it wait?" Beast Boy asked. "Like, maybe a week or something?"

Coba shook her head. "No, it can't."

"She's right, BB," Grayson agreed. "She needs to know what to do when her powers are fully developed."

"She's got powers too?!" Ian asked in shock.

"Way crash!" Bart said enthusiastically.

Dick regarded Impulse with a confused look before he realized what he meant by "crash." _Same as "schway"_, he noted. "Anyway, we'd better head over there."

Cyborg shrugged dismissively. "Okay, then," he stated. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

"Warn him of what?"

The heroes turned in surprise to see a fit teenage girl with long black hair, green eyes and pale orange-yellow skin enter. Her suit was magenta-colored, with short sleeves and shorts that covered her thighs, and had a metallic, somewhat scaly band covering her midriff. A purple headband covered the top of her forehead. She glared angrily at Cyborg. "I asked you a question!"

A woman with orange-yellow skin and red hair came in. "Mar'i! No more mean-talking!" she scolded. She noticed Dick and gasped. "Nightwing!" she exclaimed, hugging him fiercely.

Grayson hugged his former flame after a shocked moment. "It's good to see you again, Star."

Impulse could not help but inquire, "Hey, is it Mar'i as in _Mar'i Grayson_?"

Mar'i glowered at the hyperactive teen. "It's _Nightstar_ to you," she growled. She noticed Grayson staring at her in shock, but kept her sharp gaze as she shifted it to him. "What's wrong, _Dad?_" she spat venomously. "Not happy to see me?"

"_Dad?!_" Dick echoed in surprise. Then it clicked in his mind as he looked back at Starfire. "That night seventeen years ago," he murmured.

Starfire nodded. "Yes, Nightwing."

Coba could not shake off the chilling feeling that coursed through her, aware of Ed's equally surprised demeanor. _Oh boy, things are about to go from bad to worse_, they both thought. "Oh, dregs," she murmured.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yep, things got a bit sour rather fast, didn't they? Anyways, explaination time:**

**For those who do not know (as was my case until recently), Mar'i Grayson (Nightstar) is a canonical character from the comics. Since I do not know her actual personality, I've decided to pretty much give her something of a bratty, angry-child approach with the excuse of "I never knew my birth father, so I'm ticked." Plus, her outfit is a bit different because I figured it would look different with her as a teen than as an adult. Bart Allen II (Impulse) is canonical as well, and the only version of him I'm a bit familiar with is the **_**Young Justice **_**adaptation. Since I'm not all that familiar with him, I'll be adding in some personality traits of Wally West (Kid Flash and, later, the Flash), though I'm hoping not to get too carried away with that. Changeling is another name used by Beast Boy, but I decided to make up a character to be Changeling. I knew the last name would be Logan like Beast Boy's, but I couldn't come up with a first name until I was listening to the new Judas Priest album **_**Redeemer of Souls **_**(which is an **_**excellent**_** album, by the way) and looked at the list of band members, coming across the bassist's name (Ian Hill). It clicked, so I used it. XD**

**Adding Impulse in was TRON0602's suggestion, and I admit that at first I was a bit leery to do so until I watched the _Young Justice_ episode "Bloodlines." After watching it, I figured, "Why not? This story could use something of a comical character." Thanks for the suggestion, my friend! :D**

**Please leave a review and have a nice day! :D**


	3. Chapter 2: Out of Line

**Author's Notes:**

**Here's the second chapter! :D Fair warning, though: there will be a lot of angst in this one, and it has quite a lot in it (as I could not find the right place to break it apart). More notes will be at the end. That being said, please read and enjoy! :D**

* * *

"What's the matter, runt?" Nightstar scowled. "Haven't you and your filthy pet seen a family reunion before?"

Coba looked up at Mar'i. "Many times," she answered the angered teen. "Except it's more of a reunion than you think."

"Oh yeah?" Mar'i scoffed. "How so?"

Batgirl kept a level gaze as she explained in a steady voice: "I'm your niece."

Mar'i's shocked expression at Coba's words faded almost instantly. She grabbed Coba by the front of her suit in rage, causing Ed to jump to the couch from Coba's shoulder in panic. "How can I be related to a scrawny little rat like you? Judging by your leg, you can't fight all that well. What use are you to fighting crime?"

Dick pulled himself away from Starfire and looked at Nightstar sternly, pulling Coba out of her grasp. "That's my granddaughter you're talking down," he said gruffly, "and she _is_ your niece. I want you to be respectful to her, understood?"

"You're not my boss," Mar'i snarled.

"But I _am_ your _father_," Dick countered.

"Yeah," Impulse chimed in. "What's the point in naming yourself after your parents if you don't really respect their wishes?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," Raven rasped, "he does have a point."

"Mar'i, please," Starfire pleaded with her daughter, "listen to him. Batgirl's a visitor here as well."

Nightstar rolled her eyes irritably. "Whatever. Just don't bother me." She turned sharply on her heel and left the room.

Starfire turned to Nightwing and Batgirl apologetically. "I'm sorry about Mar'i," she said. "I don't know why she acted the way she did with any of you. She's usually a lot nicer."

"Don't be sorry, Starfire," Dick told her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's the one who should be."

"I know she'll mellow out," Coba put in. "It'll just take time."

"How do you know?" Changeling inquired.

Coba looked at her former schoolmate sagely. "I can sometimes sense the future. It might sound cool to you, but sometimes it can be rather unnerving."

Ian nodded sympathetically. "I can see where it would be. I doubt I could handle it. At least you've still got your sanity intact."

"True." _Well, for the most part_, she mentally added.

"Come on, kid," Dick said to Coba. "Let's continue the tour."

Coba's expression brightened considerably. "Okay, Grandfather. Lead the way."

Grayson grinned at his granddaughter's returned enthusiasm, then ruffled her hair fondly before leading her through the tower once more, with Ed scurrying behind them until he climbed back into Coba's backpack.

"Wait, won't Nightstar cause a problem still?" Impulse asked once the two vigilantes left.

"I doubt it," Changeling said, shaking his head. "Look." He pointed out the main window, which revealed Nightstar flying away from the tower, her fists clenched in rage.

"But what is she up to?" Beast Boy could not help but inquire out loud.

"I'll go see!" Bart volunteered.

"No!" Starfire cried out. "There's no need. She may be angry, but she'd never betray any of us!"

Unfortunately, the Tamaranean's words came out too late, as Impulse was already dashing through the streets after the rude teen girl. Cyborg rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Sorry, Star," he apologized. "There's just no stopping that boy."

Starfire looked at the floor and closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh of despair. _Mar'i would never betray us, never! Why suspect her of such?_

~!~

**Forty minutes later.**

"Schway view!"

Dick could not help but chuckle at Coba's exclaimation as they came to a stop on the tower's rectangular roof. _It's almost as if she's a little kid again_, he marvelled. _She's enjoying herself quite a bit! Of course_, he realized, _I didn't know her when she was a little kid._ "I had a feeling you'd like it," he said fondly.

Even though Coba had been struggling with an intense fear of heights ever since she nearly fell to her death while taking on Inque almost two years earlier, she was now able to look over the side of a tall building without feeling dizzy, thanks in no small part to training with her grandfather and patrolling Gotham with her half-brother. However, she kept a fairly safe distance from the edge of the T Tower as she looked across the city and shoreline—which were now bathed in the orange light cast by the setting sun—to ensure that she did not fall. Within a minute she was feeling bold enough to place her left leg on top of the heightened ledge. Knowing Grayson was about to remind her to check her stance, Coba carefully shifted her crippled right leg so she could stand perfectly balanced. Her gaze remained pointed straight ahead, her smile replaced by a solemn yet peaceful look. "I see what you mean now," she said quietly to Dick, "about this place. Reading the scenes in your mind doesn't even compare to seeing the real thing."

"I figured," Nightwing grinned.

The sound of the door creaking open caused them to turn their heads in that direction as Starfire walked through the doorway. "Mind if I join you?" she asked in a stressed voice.

Concern for his former lover washed over Dick. Through the corner of his eye he noticed Coba was feeling the same way. "Sure, Star," he said with a nod. "What's up?"

"Coba looks so much like you did at her age," Koriand'r stated with a small smile after a moment, ignoring Dick's question. "Except female," she added with a tiny chuckle.

"And with wavy hair and my mother's eyes," Grayson added. "She looks a lot like her father too, though."

"All in all, she's rather beautiful."

Brooklyn blushed fiercely at Starfire's last compliment, suddenly finding it hard to keep from falling. "Uh... th-thanks," she stammered shyly. "You're pretty, too."

Starfire smiled. "Thank you, friend."

Noticing Coba's increased discomfort at this sudden attention, Dick decided to ask once more: "What was bothering you, Star?"

The red-haired alien looked down at the roof sadly. "It's Mar'i. She left about an hour ago and she hasn't returned. Impulse followed her and came back a few minutes ago with—" she stopped suddenly, closing her eyes before looking up at her old friend once more. "With disturbing news. He saw Mar'i—"

"Saw me what?"

The trio turned in surprise to see Nightstar standing on the opposite side of the roof. The teen glared at them. "Impulse saw me what?" she demanded again. She glared at Coba. "It was your idea to send him after me, wasn't it?" she accused.

Coba stepped back from the edge of the roof in confusion. "I didn't even know anything of it until your mother told us."

"Liar!" Mar'i proclaimed, taking a threatening step towards Coba.

Nightwing protectively stepped in front of Batgirl. "It's true, Nightstar," he said seriously, looking at Mar'i sternly. "She was with me the whole time you were gone, and _I_ certainly didn't know about Impulse following you."

Starfire looked at her daughter with as much conviction in her gaze as Dick. "Please, Nightstar, stop being disrespectful! Coba is here to visit and learn like you are."

"Coba?" Mar'i suddenly glared even more harshly at Batgirl. "Coba Brooklyn? The same runt that attacked those Jokerz I was fighting on September 15 in 2037?!"

Coba gasped in shock at the mention of that date. _The same day Mom died._ She stepped past Grayson until she was a few feet in front of Nightstar. "It was _you_?" she could only breathe.

"Duh," the teen scoffed. "How can you not remember me? I'm the one whose pride you destroyed!"

"They were going to kill you," Coba protested. She became aware of Raven, Cyborg, Impulse, Beast Boy, and Changeling coming up onto the roof as well, but kept her focus on Mar'i.

"You didn't know that!"

The small teen looked at her relative solemnly. "I did, and I still do."

"Shut up!" Mar'i shouted. "I could've handled them, but you intervened. And your stupidity got your mother killed!" She smirked at the pained look on Coba's face, which was still covered with scratches that were inflicted the week before, knowing she had struck a chord. "Not that she didn't deserve it, producing a failure runt like you."

"Mar'i Grayson!" Starfire scolded. "Stop this now!"

However, before the enraged mother could reprimand her unruly offspring even more, Coba's grief-stricken eyes narrowed into her most fierce Batglare, glowing cobalt blue as they did, causing Dick, Starfire and Mar'i to flinch in surprise. She jumped at Mar'i with a savage yell ripping from her throat, then slammed her fist into her tormentor's face and stomach repeatedly. "Don't talk about my mother that way!" she roared in the midst of her attack, not noticing her hands as cobalt blue flaming bolts formed on them, intensifying her assault.

Three pairs of hands pulled the angered girl away from Mar'i. Coba struggled hard against her holders until she heard her grandfather's urgent voice. "Coba, stop!"

Brooklyn stopped and blinked herself out of her rage, her eyes and hands fading back to normal as she did so. A wave of exhaustion threatened to have her fall down, but only the three people holding her away from Mar'i stopped her from falling. It was only then that she realized what she had done to Mar'i. The rude teen was now bruised, bloodied, and gasping for breath. Raven enveloped Mar'i in black energy, healing her. After a moment, Nightstar was able to stand on her own. "I'm-I'm so sorry," Coba gasped. "I didn't mean—"

Mar'i silenced her with a sharp gaze. "Don't talk to me, freak," she snapped. She turned around and flew away without another word, not once looking back. Koriand'r looked at Coba with a mix of apology and dismay before following her daughter.

The three people holding Coba back—Dick, Ian, and Bart—released her. "W-what just happened?" the girl stammered, shaking uncontrollably as she tried to regain her balance and her eyes watered up. "What have I done?!"

"Dude, you kicked Nightstar's butt!" Changeling said excitedly.

"And your eyes and hands glowed blue!" Impulse added, equally enthused. "How did you do that?!"

Tears were now coursing down Coba's face, stinging her healing scratches. "I-I don't know!" she exclaimed. "I lost control! I could've gotten her killed!"

The girl's demeanor caused the two boys to snap out of their excitement and realize how she was feeling. "It wasn't your fault," Ian attempted to reassure her. "Nightstar put you and your mother down, and that was cold."

"It doesn't make it right to do what I just did!" Coba cried. "Not to this extent!"

"Batgirl," Nightwing gently tried to intervene, only for her to dart past him and back into the tower. He stood there in shock for a moment, unable to comprehend his granddaughter's behavior. _It's not like her to run off like that when she's upset._

"Nightwing," Raven said, pulling Dick out of his thoughts. "You're the only one here who can calm her down. Go to her."

Grayson nodded in acknowledgement before dashing back into the tower to find Brooklyn. _Please don't let her be in Raven's room_, he prayed. _An experience like that will make her even more distraught, perhaps beyond all repair. _To his relief, he found Raven's room empty, then continued through the tower, calling out his granddaughter's name.

~!~

Inside a room that was avoided on her grand tour of the tower, Coba felt overwhelmed by the large number of newspaper clippings of past crimes stuck to the walls of the living space. A small wave of grief washed over her as she remembered how her mother had the habit of collecting clippings before newspapers were no longer in print. Looking closer as the clippings, she realized that she knew a few of the villains and cases featured in them, but the rest were unknown to her. One of the villains she recognized caught her eye. Looking down at the desk in front of her, she saw the mask of that same villain and picked it up in spite of the chill that ran through her blood. "Deathstroke," she murmured uncomfortably. _Slade Wilson. Damian said he was dead, but somehow... some way... it seems as though he's still alive. Is it just from the clippings and the mask? Or is it really that my superstitions are correct?_

"Coba?"

Coba whipped her head around to see Dick standing there, her eyes wide with panic. Once her frantic mind registered his presence, her tensed muscles relaxed a bit. "Was this... your room?" she asked haltingly.

Dick nodded sagely. "Yes, it was," he gently answered. "Didn't you hear me calling for you?"

Brooklyn shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Grandfather. I guess I was too deep in thought."

He noticed a far away look in the teen's eyes that he had noticed many times before. "This room reminds you of something, or someone," he observed.

"Of two people: Slade and Mom," Coba confirmed sadly, placing Slade's old mask back on the table. "Before I was born, and before they stopped printing newspapers, she would keep newspaper clippings in her office to help with her job as a reporter... but there was another reason for this behavior: she would use those and other facts she found online to try to find you and Grandmother.

"She had to quit her job when I got sick with cancer," she continued, her voice starting to get more choked with emotion. "It was too much for her to juggle both work and taking care of an ill baby, and she felt she could not keep searching for you for that reason. It wasn't until I was seven years old that she knew she could get back on her feet and find a job. This time, her job was no longer as a reporter, but as a secretary at Wayne-Powers." Coba ignored her grandfather's silent urgings to stop, as she had gotten more worked up at the mention of the company formerly ran by the man who ordered for her mother's death, but she pressed on. "She resumed her search for you shortly after, and continued it until... until she was..." The girl hung her head solemnly, closing her eyes as more tears threatened. _Until she was killed._

"I get it, Coba," Grayson murmured, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't think about it."

Batgirl looked up at him after a moment of silence. "I didn't mean to hurt Mar'i the way I did," she choked.

"I know."

"What if I lose control again?" Coba asked, her voice gaining volume with each word as she shook violently. "What if I end up hurting someone else? What if they end up dead?!"

Dick knelt down and hugged her, hoping to calm her down. _She really _is_ like a little kid again_, he realized."Shhh," he whispered. "Don't think like that. You'll learn to control your powers."

"But how can I do that when I can't control my emotions anymore?" she inquired in a sad, quiet voice, hugging him back. "My powers are fuelled by my emotions, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. It's another reason why I brought you here, kid. Not just to learn from Starfire, but to learn from Raven."

"Raven?" Coba echoed in confusion. Then she remembered. "Earlier you said something about her acting like she's grumpy to hide her true emotions. Why?"

Nightwing looked at his granddaughter solemnly through his only eye. "Because if she didn't, her powers would cause a lot of destruction." He knew what Batgirl was about to say just by reading her expression, and he gently interjected: "But that doesn't mean you should never show your true emotions. She'll just teach you how to control them, then you can use that knowledge to limit how much of them you show and use." Dick noticed she was considering his words, letting them sink in. "Did that help at all?" he asked after a moment.

Coba looked into his eye once more, and managed a small grin in spite of herself. "Quite a bit," she replied in a steadier, though still quietened, voice. "Thank you, Grandfather."

Grayson grinned back and ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, Co." He hugged her a little bit tighter, then released her after a moment and stood up. "Come on; let's go see what Impulse discovered about Nightstar. I have a sneaking hunch we'll all need to know."

"So do I," Coba said with a nod as she stood up, much calmer after sitting with the one-eyed hero. "I don't like the idea of facing her fury once more, but it's a chance all of us have to take."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Dick agreed. He led her out of the room and back to the living room, where the others—with the exceptions of Starfire and Nightstar—had gathered.

Neither of them, not even the slightly psychic Coba, were prepared for what young Bart had to say about Mar'i, nor did they know there was a sensor in Deathstroke's mask that recognized Coba's heat signature.

~!~

**Jump City  
**  
A sensor beeped furiously on a computer in an old, abandoned newspaper factory. The sounds alerted two figures in the building, but only one of them—a tall, thin middle-aged female—moved to see what the commotion was about. She only had to study it for a brief moment to know what caused the beeping. "It's the Brooklyn girl," she said to her companion in a dark voice. "She's touched the mask."

The other figure, a middle-aged male built similarly to—yet stronger than—his female companion, grinned behind his rounded, full-faced mask. "It's about time," he drawled sinisterly. "I was starting to wonder if she ever would."

"Do we strike now?" another person, a large, muscular man covered with hair, asked.

"No," the first man replied: "we'd be at a disadvantage if we went while it was still light out. We wait until midnight, as planned."

The woman grinned evilly. "The Titans won't stand a chance," she proclaimed.

The masked man shared his partner's enthusiasm. "And neither will their brats."

A short, stocky man with goggles on his head smirked. "With those snot-brains out of the way, this city will be _ours_ for the taking."

* * *

**Yep, Mar'i is the girl Coba had saved so long ago. But why all the hate towards Coba? And who are the people plotting against them? These questions and many others will be addressed later on.**

_**Dude! Why's Coba so emotional in this?!**_

**Wouldn't you be if your deceased parent, whom you cared for most, was insulted by a brat?**

_**True. But that's not all, is it?**_

**You're right, it isn't. I communicate my thoughts and feelings through Coba as I write, and this summer has been rather hectic for me and my family.**

**Anyways, with Coba's eyes, I decided to say the blue came from Dick's mother Mary Grayson (since I have no idea what her real eye color is and it didn't say or show in the TV series). As for the red spots, well, they appeared after the chemotherapy she had. Although, here's a weird fact about chemo: it mixes around the DNA of the person receiving the treatment. The red spots I got in my eyes are actually present in my paternal grandmother's eyes. But since I had not known that the chemo didn't actually add the spots as a sign of the illness before I made Coba, I'm going to say now that she inherited that part from Martha Wayne (Bruce's mother), since that wasn't really shown either. Yep: I'm messing up the world of Batman a bit. Of course, I'm not exactly the only one, am I? ;P XD**

**And yes: in spite of being a girl and really small (and with cobalt blue and reddish-brown-spotted eyes), Coba looks a lot like Bruce and Dick rolled into one. At least, she's supposed to. My drawing of her on deviantART doesn't exactly display that. :/ I'll have to work on that...**

**Please leave a review below and have a nice day! :D**


	4. Chapter 3: Training

**Author's Notes:**

**Hi guys and girls! Welcome to the third chapter! *Whoops excitedly* I'd like to thank you all for your support so far: it's greatly appreciated! :D Anyways, I added an extra part at the end of the previous chap involving the villains of this story that will be named later on.**

**Enjoy...**

* * *

Cyborg sighed impatiently. "Bart, slow down!" he commanded his young cousin. "Not all of us can keep up with hearing at the speed of light!"

Bart let out a huff of frustration. "It's not my fault you guys are too slow!"

"It's not our fault, either!"

"Hang on," Coba interrupted the arguing cousins. "Let me see if I heard at least some of it correctly: So you followed Nightstar to an old newspaper building, but you don't remember exactly where it was, where she met with a woman with black hair and indigo eyes."

Impulse nodded. "That's right!" he responded excitedly, his voice gaining speed. "I didn't hear what they were saying, though."

"And that was when you came back here," Coba noted.

"Yeah."

Batgirl looked over and noticed the Titans' grim faces, though none were nearly as much so as Nightwing. "Grandfather, what's wrong?" she asked concernedly.

Grayson looked at her solemnly, his one eye betraying an intense sense of regret. "Impulse just described Blackfire."

Ian, Coba and Bart looked at all of them in confusion. "Who's Blackfire?" Ian inquired.

"Blackfire is Starfire's older sister," Dick replied. "She betrayed Starfire on her first visit to Earth."

"Oh."

"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Hasn't it hit you that your daughter is working with Blackfire?"

"I doubt that's the case," the small teen interjected before Nightwing could reply. "I have the sickening feeling that she's just a pawn in whatever they're planning, and her secretly meeting with Blackfire may have caused her change of mood somehow."

"You think that maybe getting you upset was part of their plan, as well?" Changeling inquired.

Coba only had to let his words sink in for a second to think about what he was saying. "Now that you mention it, it could've been. Except, I feel as though we'll have to face something bigger than Mar'i."

"Like what?" Bart asked curiously.

"I don't know," Coba confessed gravely.

"Nonetheless, we'd rather you, Changeling and Impulse stayed out of fighting with Blackfire," Nightwing said authoritatively.

"What?!" the teen boys exclaimed in unison.

"Come on, Nightwing!" Impulse groaned. "We're more than ready for this!"

Ian nodded in agreement with his companion. "Yeah! I mean, we've been training for the past year!"

"This isn't up for discussion," Cyborg stated sternly. "We can't risk getting you hurt over an old quarrel."

"There's no point in arguing," Batgirl told her former classmates. "They have a right to show concern—" she looked at Dick in a way that was neither disappointed nor hostile— "but we'll do what's necessary if we have to."

Dick nodded in understanding. "I just hope it doesn't get to that point."

"I know, Grandfather," Coba replied sagely. "I know." _And I hope Mar'i figures out which side she's on before that can happen._

"So, what do we do now?" Bart inquired.

"Hang out," Nightwing said with a shrug. "At least until Starfire and Nightstar get back."

Ian's eyes went wide as he looked at the doorway. "Should we send them away again, then?" he asked in a semi-quiet voice.

Koriand'r and Mar'i had just returned, and it was clear that both were stressed about something. _I don't doubt that they had a long talk while they were away_, Coba thought grimly.

Mar'i glared at Ian. "You saying we're not welcome?"

Changeling rose his hands innocently. "That's not what I meant at all!" he exclaimed.

The teen girl maintained her gaze, but said nothing else. She looked at Coba, the hostility in her face rising. However, before she could say anything, Dick approached her. "I'd like to have a word with you in private," he said in a non-threatening yet authoritative tone.

Nightstar thought over his request for a few tense moments, not once taking her angered eyes off of Batgirl, then nodded to her father. "Fine," she grumbled. She shot a final glare at Coba before following Dick out of the room.

"I hope Nightwing's gonna be okay," Beast Boy stated.

"Quite honestly," Coba spoke up with no hint of humor or disgust in her voice, "it's Nightstar I'm worried about."

"What?!" Bart exclaimed. "She has Starfire's powers!"

Coba gave him a dead serious look. "_Anyone's_ powers are nothing compared to Grandfather's rage."

"She has a point," Raven drawled. "Speaking of powers—" she turned to Coba— "you came to learn from Starfire?"

Starfire gasped in realization. "That's right, I forgot! Come on!" She excitedly grabbed Coba by the arm and ran out of the room, the girl trying hard to keep up with the Tamaranean.

Impulse looked at Cyborg in confusion. "Is Starfire usually this excited?"

"When it comes to new people," Victor said with a small nod.

Changeling turned to his father. "Can we go watch?"

Beast Boy pondered a moment, then shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Just don't distract them as they train," Raven advised, following the foursome as they left. "Trust me: you don't want to get hit by a Starbolt."

"No kidding," Changeling agreed nervously. "Looks like they hurt!"

~!~

"Let me guess: you're not thrilled about how I've been treating Coba," Mar'i scowled.

Grayson shook his head as he and his only surviving daughter entered his room. "Not particularly."

Mar'i scoffed. "Can you blame me, though? She shattered my pride and kept me from ever meeting you!"

Dick could not help but snort in disgust. "I didn't even know you were born until earlier today! Besides, I didn't even really know Coba until almost two years ago."

"Keep that stupid runt out of this!" Nightstar growled.

"You're the one who brought it up!" Dick snapped. "And don't talk about her that way!"

"Well, it's true! All she's ever done is get in the way! And I bet you lost your eye because of her."

Dick fixed his daughter with an angered, one-eyed glare. "No," he growled. "It was because the first Batman forgot one of his rules the last time we patrolled together."

The teen was somewhat humored. "Which was what? Don't shoot someone who's annoying?"

"Don't land in front of your partner." Noticing Mar'i's confused look, he let out a small sigh. "The Joker had kidnapped a friend of ours." _Alfred._ "Joker had a modified Hunziker J-108 with armor-piercing bullets. Batman dodged the bullets, but... I didn't have a chance, as he was directly in my line of vision."

Mar'i's eyes went wide with horror. "Oh," she gasped. "Were you hurt anywhere else?"

"My entire chest, and only last year I got the bullet that had been near my spine since then removed."

"Why didn't you get it removed before?" the half-Tamaranean inquired.

"I couldn't afford it or get a decent paying job," Dick answered. "At the same time, I didn't want to ask for the money."

"Then how were you able to have it done?"

"Bruce Wayne paid for it at Coba's request," he answered. "She knew I wanted it done, but Bruce was the last person I wanted to ask, so she asked him herself."

Nightstar was at a loss for words for several moments. _I guess Coba doesn't get in the way _all _the time, after all_, she thought. "She immensely cares about you, doesn't she?" she said at last.

Nightwing nodded. "And vice versa. She also greatly cares for those around her, even if they do get on her nerves." He was silent for a moment, carefully choosing his next words. "I want you to sincerely apologize to her," he requested. He held up his hand as Mar'i was about to protest. "And to treat her with respect. Get to know her, as well. You may find that you have more in common with her than you think."

At first the older hero was afraid that the teen would give a sharp retort, but was relieved when she nodded in understanding. "Okay, Dad," she agreed. "I'll try."

"Good," he grinned. "Let's go back to the others."

"Okay." Mar'i followed Dick out of the room, relieved to not be stared at by the photos of past criminals. "And, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the talk." _And for not bringing up my visits with Aunt Blackfire_, she mentally added. _I didn't know until talking with Mom that she was a villain!_

Grayson gently ruffled her hair. "Thanks for listening."

~!~

"Where are we going?" Coba inquired breathlessly as they got to the bottom of the tower.

"The obstacle course outside," Koriand'r answered. "You'll love it!" Once they were on the shore, Starfire punched a few buttons in the console, causing large hurdles and rocket launchers to come out of the ground.

"Whoa," Coba gasped in awe. _It's a lot like Grandfather said, except even more epic!_

"Do you know how to fly?" the woman asked, pulling the girl out of her thoughts.

It took the surprised teen a moment to take in what Starfire had asked. "Not without using my suit," Coba answered, setting her backpack on the ground.

"Super strength?"

"Wait, I _have_ that?"

Starfire was unable to suppress a chuckle at Coba's exclamation. "With my blood in you, you do."

"Oh," Batgirl stated. "No, I don't know."

"At least you know how to generate Starbolts."

"Huh? I _do_?"

"You used them against Nightstar earlier," Starfire reminded her.

Realization struck Coba hard. "Impulse said my hands and eyes were glowing," she murmured.

"Yes!"

Starfire's excitement seemed a bit odd to Coba, who was expecting rebuke from the alien for hurting her only child. "But I don't know how I generated them," Coba confessed.

"Righteous fury," the older heroine replied. "Nightstar disrespected you and your mother, and you got angry."

"Oh, okay," Coba acknowledged grimly, recalling Mari's hurtful words. She shoved that memory aside before facing Koriand'r again. "How do I use strength and flight?"

"Boundless confidence for strength and unbridled joy for flight."

Doubt instantly washed over the young warrior. _I have to feel all that on an obstacle course? I can't even feel confident or happy when using the Batcave's course on medium settings! This has gotta be like that on high settings!_

"Nightstar and I have found that the best way to learn them is to use them on an obstacle course," Starfire continued.

"I learn best when it's one on one," Coba interrupted. The look Starfire gave her caused her to look down in shame. "Sorry."

Koriand'r softened her gaze and gestured to the course. "Give it a try."

"Yeah!" they heard Ian call down from a rock above, where Cyborg, Bart, Beast Boy and Raven were as well. "Go for it!"

"You've got this, BG!" Impulse added enthusiastically as he, Garfield and Cyborg each gave her a thumbs up.

"Just don't lose focus," Raven advised.

"_Go Coba!_" squeaked Ed, who had just crawled out of the backpack and was now sitting on Changeling's shoulders.

Coba nodded, then went over to the first part of the course: the hurdles. Focusing on joyful thoughts of her loved ones, she managed to fly over them. Her confidence was boosted by the prospect of being able to fly, but it was lowered once more as robots flew straight at her, shooting blaster beams as they did. Remembering what Starfire had said about the Starbolts, Coba's eyes narrowed into a fierce, determined glare and charged her hands with the energy. She quickly released them at the robots. In spite of most of the bolts missing their targets, all of the robots were destroyed. Large boulders were instantly thrown at her while she flew over a pit, coming at her from above, but she was ready. She quickly dodged and shot the boulders that were about to hit her, then caught one and threw it back to the ground, breaking the catapult throwing the rocks.

"Very good!" Starfire beamed as Batgirl softly landed on the ground in front of her. "You're catching on fast!"

Brooklyn could not help but grin with pride. "I guess I am," she murmured. _You did it, kid! _she mentally congratulated herself._ You did it!_

Unfortunately, Coba's feeling of accomplishment was short lived as her vision seemed to be spinning. Her new dizziness caused her to fall to the ground. She could barely make out the voices and figures of her companions coming towards her in concern as she coughed weakly, sputum making its way in and out of her mouth. In an instant, she recognized the undeniable tang of blood. "Impulse! Get her to the infirmary!" she could barely hear Cyborg command his younger cousin.

Coba tensed in discomfort as the speedster lifted her into his arms. The blur of dirt being blown around by Bart's speed was the last thing she saw before her vision went completely black. She widened her eyes to try to see anything, but nothing happened. To her bitter relief, she still had her other senses about her, despite a harsh ringing taking over her hearing. Just moments after losing her sight, she felt herself being placed on a bed. She could hardly hear Bart's voice as he said something to her, then felt the air whiz past her. Her ears stopped ringing, but her eyes still refused to see. Coba tensed as she heard loud footsteps running down the hall towards the infirmary. She gasped in alarm and pulled away as a large hand grasped hers.

"Coba?" the newcomer said softly. "It's me."

"Grandfather?!" her voice rasped, tightened with horror.

"I'm here, kid," the speaker reassured her, sitting next to her and pulling her into a warm hug. "I'm here."

The girl tightly hugged Dick back, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandfather," she apologized. "I can't see."

"Don't be. I'm sorry for sneaking up on you like that."

Batgirl hugged him a little tighter to let him know he was forgiven. It was not until several long moments later that light dots seemed to fill her vision, little by little chasing the black away. For a heartbeat she was surprised to finally see where she was, but managed to calm herself down. She noticed that every person present at the tower that day—including Nightstar—were in the room as well. Much to her chagrin, she noticed that blood had fallen out of her mouth...

...and onto the blue insignia on Nightwing's costume.

"Sorry," she said feebly to Nightwing, embarrassed that everyone else could see.

Dick grinned harmlessly. "It's fine. Besides," he added, his smirk getting bigger, "most of it is on you."

Coba managed a weak smile, despite feeling even more humiliated. _Well, at least it can be washed out._

Mar'i handed Coba a bucket and a glass of water. "Here," she offered. "These will help you wash the blood out of your mouth. Looks like you could use a drink, as well."

"Thanks," Coba accepted. She spat the bloodied sputum out of her mouth and into the bucket, then put some water in her mouth and spat again until she knew her mouth was clean. Coba slowly drank the rest of the water, surprised that she started feeling better after doing so. _I guess I _did_ need that, after all. _Nightstar handed her another glass of the clear, tasteless liquid. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Mar'i shrugged.

"What happened?" Dick asked his granddaughter, his voice more concerned.

Before Coba could respond, Starfire spoke up. "It's my fault, Nightwing," she said solemnly. "I had her go on the obstacle course before she had more control of her powers. I thought it would help her learn better, and she did wonderfully, but—" Her voice broke off guiltily. "But when she finished, she collapsed right after."

"It's not your fault, Star," Dick reassured his old friend. "You didn't know this would happen."

"None of us did," Brooklyn added. "Strange thing about all this, though, is that I didn't feel any strain until after I stopped using my powers. And another weird thing is that I was suddenly dehydrated."

"Was it the same way after you attacked Nightstar?" Raven asked, catching the others off guard.

"Sort of," Coba answered. "The symptoms were more mellow then, but still painfully noticable." Her eyes grew wide as she realized something. "Because I only used one of my Tamaranean powers. This time I used them all, which intensified the effects."

"Were you born with the powers?" the older heroine inquired.

Coba shook her head. "No, I wasn't. They were mixed with chemo therapy and the DNA of another superhuman when I was a year old, and the powers only recently started to develop."

Raven considered the small warrior's words, then solemnly looked down. "Your powers are too strong for you to handle," she said gravely. "Had they been with you since birth, it would have been much easier and safer, but having had them injected in you with poison and having developed them much later, they'll kill you if you over do it, which is impossible to know if you are when you can't feel them hurting you until afterwards. Even if you did manage to control them at some point, they'll cause unrepairable damage to your body." She paused, then looked at Coba again. "For your sake, you must never use them."

* * *

**Yikes! Raven's just a little ray of sunshine, isn't she?**

**I forgot to mention at the beginning of the story that I would be addressing some rather personal things in this story, so I'm saying it now. I apologize if this upsets any of you, as my intention with this info is only to inform. It's no secret I survived cancer, but there are things about it that I had not known a couple of years ago regarding some effects of it. For one, depending on where it targets, you can develop a learning disability and suffer memory loss (that usually happens in the brain or, in my case, the spine). For another, the chemo therapy can not only mix your DNA around like I mentioned in the notes of the last chapter, but it makes you sick and has long-term effects like physical weakness (and if you strain too much, the blood around your heart stops and thus harms your body). **

_**But what does that have to do with the story?**_

**Well, for one, Coba had cancer like I did, and suffered most of those effects. She has a learning disability, though she has mostly overcome it. In this chap, her powers caused too much strain on her.**

_**Oh. Yikes!**_

**Yeah. Yikes. Though what happened to Coba because of it is really just a theory of mine and probably not an actuality.**

**Anyways, next chapter might have the villains again, and maybe even have Mar'i and Coba trying to bond. Who knows? I know I don't. XD Might have them play Rock Band or something. *Notices everyone's confused looks* What? It's a fun game that gets people together! XD**

**Please leave a review/comment below and have a great rest of your day! :D**


	5. Chapter 4: When There's Trouble

Over ten minutes after Raven's disturbing news, Coba sadly sat on the bed in the infirmary. Ed lay beside her on the bed, fast asleep on the covers after multiple failed attempts at cheering the girl up. The others had already left to do their own thing: Raven to meditate in her room; Beast Boy and Changeling to challenge Cyborg and Impulse at video games; and Nightwing, Starfire and Nightstar to catch up on things, despite Nightwing's initial reluctance to leave Coba alone with her troubled mind.

_If I use my powers, I could get killed_, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time that evening as she gently stroked her sleeping pet rat. A sudden question came to her mind, causing her to shake uncontrollably._ But does that mean if I don't, _they'll _use _me_?_ She heaved a sigh. _Well, sitting here and feeling sorry for myself won't help, and I'm not tired enough to sleep yet. I don't feel all that sick any more, anyway. Might as well find something to do._

Coba carefully got out of the bed and used it to help her stand up. Looking to the counter by the bed's side, she noticed a small bowl of strange berries sitting on it. She remembered that Starfire had left them for her as something to eat, but Coba had forgotten about them as a result of her distraught mind. _"These zorkaberries should help," _the Tamaranean had stated.

Only now could Coba grin a bit at the strange name. _Of course, these are from a different planet. I should have expected to hear some different names! _she concluded with a tiny chuckle. She placed a berry into her mouth, only for her face to pucker up as a result of the bitter taste. _Should've expected _that_, too_, she chided herself. _Well, at least they don't taste horrible. _

After finishing the rest of the berries (as she had known better than to give any to Ed, since she had no idea what the berries would do to him), Coba gently scooped Ed into her arms before leaving the infirmary. She steadily strode through the hallways, listening to the voices of the Titans and the other teens in the tower. A loud alarm echoed through the tower without warning as red lights flashed furiously. Ed was immediately awakened by the sound. "_What the heck is that?!_" he exclaimed.

Brooklyn quickly had her rat climb onto her shoulders so he could hold on easier. "_The alarm system,_" she replied. "_Hang on, bud, I'm breaking into a run._" She ran as fast as her still wobbly legs would go until she reached the living room, impressed to find that it doubled as a command center.

"Batgirl!" Changeling exclaimed. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'm feeling better now, just had to stretch my legs. What's going on?" Coba inquired.

"We've got trouble in the city," Cyborg answered urgently. "Someone's broken into a chemical plant."

"Plasmus?" Beast Boy asked tensely.

Victor shook his head after studying the screen for a moment. "Good news is, it's _not_ Plasmus."

Garfield, Bart and Ian let out a sigh of relief.

"The bad news is, it's _worse_ than Plasmus."

Beast Boy looked as though he was about to pull the rest of his hair out. "Oh, come on! Why must it be worse than Plasmus?!"

Without realizing it, Coba murmured the answer: "Because this isn't just about chemicals; it's about something bigger."

"Which is supposed to help us _how_?" Bart asked irritably.

Coba blinked in confusion at first, then shook her head regretfully. "I don't know how it's supposed to help. It's just a fact."

"Don't be upset about it, little lady," Cyborg told Batgirl as he placed a large hand on her shoulder and glared at Impulse. "We'll take care of it, just like old times."

"But this time, you've got _us_ with you," Ian grinned.

Beast Boy shook his head. "Not this time, son," he said sagely. "You, Impulse, Nightstar and Batgirl need to stay put."

"Oh come on!" the speedster of the group groaned. "We're more than ready for this!"

At that moment, Nightwing, Starfire and Nightstar came in. "Beast Boy's right," Nightwing atoned. "We have no idea what we're up against."

"Except that it's worse than Plasmus in more ways than one," Coba put in grimly.

"Exactly." Grayson gently ruffled Coba's hair as he addressed her and the rest of the teens. "Take care of things here while we're gone, okay?"

"Okay, Grandfather," Brooklyn acknowledged with a reassuring grin. "We'll do our best. Though," she added, her face becoming grim, "we'll come after you if need be."

Dick nodded sagely. "We'll work hard to make sure that doesn't happen." _I don't want any of you getting hurt._

"And so will we," Coba stated, nodding to let him know she understood both his spoken words and his thoughts.

_Well, _she_ will_, the girl heard Nightstar think indignantly. _I'm not about to miss out on all the action just because of her._

"Take care," the youngest hero in the room said to the Titans, deciding not to speak of Mar'i's rebellious thoughts.

The one-eyed man grinned. "You too, kiddo." With a nod to his old friends, the five original Titans left for the chemical plant.

The four teens stood there for a few more minutes before Mar'i sighed and started walking towards the exit. "Where do you think you're going?" Ian asked suspiciously.

"To help them," the teen girl said bluntly. "What else would I be doing?"

"Visiting your evil aunt?" Bart suggested. "Possibly even plotting behind our backs?"

"I didn't even know she was evil until Mom told me earlier!" Mar'i flustered. "Aunt Blackfire was being nice to me during my visits with her, and I had no idea of what she had done. Mom never talked about her until today. I would never betray any of you, no matter how much you—"

"Enough, all of you," Brooklyn cut off gently, knowing that the boys were not going to believe aunt without Coba intervening. "This isn't an easy subject for Nightstar, and I sense the truth in her words."

Ian and Bart were surprised at Coba. "You're backing her up after what she said about you and your mom?" Ian asked in shock.

Coba's expression darkened at the mention of Mar'i's previous verbal assault on her. "I don't like what she said about us, and I don't think she was right to do so," she admitted sagely. "But the fact remains that she's telling the truth about not betraying us and not knowing about Blackfire's chosen path. My parents supported those telling the truth, as I do now."

Mar'i was equally amazed at the small teen. Her animosity towards Coba lowered considerably as a form of respect started to grow. However, for fear of showing weakness in front of the two boys, she kept her gaze hardened. "I don't need you to defend me," she spat at Coba. "I can take care of myself." She turned around and began walking towards the exit once more.

Batgirl sensed Nightstar's reluctance to calm down in front of Ian and Bart. _She doesn't want her pride to be hurt even more, and she feels showing her true feelings around the boys will do so. _Just as she was about to ask Mar'i if they could talk in private, she felt a sudden hand of dread grip her as her eyes widened in horror. "Nightstar!" she cried out urgently. "Stop! Someone's out there!"

"I don't need your concern, runt!" Mar'i snapped as she opened the door to the main corridor. "I never did. Now leave me alone!"

Just as soon as Nightstar slammed the door shut behind her, she was quickly pinned to the wall by a large, red adhesive restraint. A small scream escaped from her mouth as her back collided with the wall. Her attacker got directly in her face, causing her to gasp in alarm as she took in his appearance: he wore a black suit with a gray utility belt; a black cape with gray underneath; gray gloves; and a black mask with gray painted on in imitation of a skull, two black-lined eye-holes, and a red 'X' in the middle of the mask as well as on the chest of the suit. "You _do_ need their concern," he said darkly, pulling out an X-shaped blade and holding it to Nightstar's throat, "though it may be too late for that."

Before either of them could react, the door was suddenly busted down. Batgirl charged at them, disarming the intruder with a batarang and freeing the horrified Nightstar with another. "Not on my watch, dreg!" she shouted, echoing the words of her brother on their first night as Batman and Batgirl.

The intruder blocked a punch from Coba, then returned it. Coba swiftly sidestepped to and fro and blocked his attacks as he punched and kicked furiously at her. "Looks like your old granddad taught you well," he said snarkily. He grabbed her arm as she returned a punch and twisted it behind her back. No matter how she tried to get free, she could not escape his harsh grasp. "But not well enough to fight his own creation."

"Batgirl!" Changeling cried out in concern.

Coba only needed a second to know what the villain was planning for her and her companions. _He's going to kill us all. Unless..._ "Get out of here, now!" she shouted.

"And leave you with Red X? Not a chance!" Ian retorted.

"We're not leaving you!" Impulse exclaimed.

Mar'i's hands glowed as she prepared to strike Red X with a Starbolt. To her bitter shock, X shot a constricting X that pinned her arms behind her back. He moved to strike again, throwing an explosive X at the teens and releasing Coba, but Coba grabbed him by his leg and managed to fling him across the room. "Go. Now!" she barked.

Bart was about to argue, but Batgirl had thrown a liquid nitrogen pellet at the explosive, forming a wall of ice between them and preventing her companions from getting hurt. They could only watch as Coba bravely fought Red X once he stood up again. To their horror, she was slashed and thrown against the wall repeatedly, then caught by three constrictive X's—one to pin her legs together, one to her middle to restrain her arms and hands (let alone power down her suit), and the other to cover her mouth—before being rendered unconscious by a punch to the back of her head. Changeling had turned into a triceratops and finally broke through the wall of ice after multiple attempts during the tense scene, but by that time he was too late.

Red X and Batgirl had disappeared.

Nightstar managed to break free from the X restraining her, then quickly got to the radio. "Titans, it's Nightstar," she said, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "Where are you?"

"We're back," Nightwing replied, causing Mar'i, Ian, and Bart to jump in alarm. "The robbery at the chemical plant was a false alarm."

Starfire must have sensed the discomfort in her daughter's voice. "Nightstar, what's wrong?"

"And what's with all the ice on the floor?" Beast Boy inquired.

Cyborg was instantly upset. "Yo! I just cleaned all the floors! Who did this, anyway?"

"Coba did," Mar'i's voice choked in a sob. "I'm so sorry, I didn't listen, and now—"

Dick placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Slow down," he said calmly. "What happened? Where's Batgirl?"

No sooner had the one-eyed hero asked the question that he was able to piece together what had happened. _The ice, the scrapes on the floors, a missing girl, the X on the ground. _His eye widened in horror. _Red X. _"Oh my God," he breathed. His gaze hardened determinedly as he turned around and started leaving the room. "Get the story of what happened and keep an eye on the scanners," he instructed his teammates.

"But dude!" Impulse protested. "That was Red X!"

"And he has my granddaughter," Dick growled angrily, slamming the door shut behind him. _I won't let Coba get killed because of a mistake I made long ago_, he thought determinedly.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Suspenseful note ooh-wha-ha! (Fails miserably once again at**_** Finding Nemo **_**reference, XD.) Yeah, I most likely got out of character with Red X, but people change over time, so this time, he's probably more sadistic.**

_**Are you done ruining awesome characters?**_

**Are you done criticizing me?**

_**No comment.**_

**That's what I thought.**

**Thuraya: Don't mind WNR, she's just arguing with herself as usual.**

***Rolls eyes* Any-ways, a big round of thanks goes to TRON0602 for suggesting the Tamaranean food. Your suggestions, of course, are always appreciated! :D**

**The Titans and the kids have a lot in store for them. Can Nightwing reach Batgirl in time before she can get killed? Will Batgirl get away by herself? Or none of the above? ****How are the rest of the team and teens going to cope with this dramatic turn of events, if at all? **Tune in next time to find out! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

**Bem nudges Thuraya: I knew it: she's lost her mind.**

**Thuraya: I'll say! *Turns to readers* For the sake of helping us save what's left of our author's sanity, please leave a review in the box below.**

**And have a great day! And **_**no**_**: I'm **_**not**_** losing my sanity!**

**Batman: I don't believe you.**

**But I'm not!**

**Batman: But I'm Batman.**

***Blinks in nervous confusion, then finishes document and posts it online.***


	6. Chapter 5: Open Wounds

**Author's Notes:**

**And here's the next chap! :D Sorry this took longer than the others: hit major writer's block and some plot changes. A big round of thanks goes to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story thus far. Enjoy the chapter! :)**

**This chapter features a couple characters not mentioned earlier in the story, one of them an OC belonging to a good friend of mine, Silverlynx13. I hope I've managed to portray your character well.**

**Please R&R and enjoy...**

**Titans' Tower**

* * *

The Titans and their teen relatives sat in the command center. Cyborg stared at the computer screens as his cousin paced through the tower. Starfire sat by her distraught daughter, trying vainly to help cheer her up. Beast Boy silently sat with a hand on his son's shoulder as Changeling absentmindedly stroked the tense Ed, who blankly stared straight ahead, wondering if Coba and Dick were alright. Raven was the only one sitting alone, reading a book by Stephen King titled _The Green Mile_.

"Why aren't they back yet?" Ian asked in exasperation. "It's been forever!"

"It's been forty-five minutes," Raven sighed without lifting her gaze from the book. _And this is why I don't have kids of my own_, she mentally noted.

"Man," Impulse muttered for the umpteenth time as he passed through the room, "really feeling the mode right now."

Mar'i, who had been quiet with shock since the three teens relayed Batgirl's capture to the four Titans, suddenly shot up from the stair step she was sitting on. "Don't you think the rest of us are?" she exploded, glowering at an intimidated Bart.

Changeling quickly went to his startled friend's aid. "Hey, he didn't say we weren't," he growled.

"I wasn't talking to you," Mar'i spat.

"You didn't say you weren't!"

"Stop it, both of you," Starfire intervened sternly. "Fighting is not going to help Nightwing or Batgirl."

Nightstar looked down solemnly after a moment and sighed. "You're right, Mom." She looked at Ian and Bart. "Sorry, guys."

"It's crash," Impulse acknowledged.

"Don't worry about it," Ian atoned. "But, not to get on your nerves, why has Coba's capture gotten you so worked up? I thought you didn't like her."

"Because... well..." The girl hesitated, then let out another sigh. "Because she saved my life again, and I'm... I'm afraid I won't get to thank her or apologize for my behavior."

Ian and Bart stared at Mar'i in shock at these words, too stunned to notice that Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire were equally amazed. Even Raven looked up from her book at the troubled teen's confession. After a moment, Ian placed a reassuring hand on Mar'i's shoulder. "You _will_ get the chance, we all will," he promised. "We've got to believe that she'll be okay."

"He's right," Garfield agreed with his son. "After all, if Batgirl's anything like Nightwing, she's hard to get rid of."

Mar'i managed a small smile at both of them, but still felt fearful for the niece she had poorly treated. _I hope Beast Boy and Changeling are right._

~!~

**Jump City**

Coba painfully groaned against her gag as she regained consciousness. Opening her eyes, she could see rain falling from the sky with increasing intensity at each passing minute, with the cold drops seeping through the cuts in her suit and making her feel cold and wet. There were wooden crates all around her on a cement structure. _I'm at the docks_, she realized in alarm. She shook against the cold, immediately reminded that she was still bound and horribly wounded. _How long have I been laying here? _she wondered._ My arteries are screaming..._ Coba looked at the ground, dismayed to see she was laying in a large puddle of blood.

Her _own_ blood.

_I'm a bit glad that some of it is actually rainwater mixed in, but it doesn't change the fact that I've been bleeding to death for what is most likely between thirty and sixty minutes, judging by how dark the sky is now compared to when I was knocked out._ She closed her eyes and managed to keep from screaming in terror at her situation, but a disconcerted grunt sounded from her instead. _I'm surprised I'm not dead yet. Then again, this cold air and water must've slowed my bleeding after some time, though I doubt that alone is the case._

Her noises alerted two nearby figures, who immediately came over to see her. To Coba's horror, one figure was Red X while the other was a large, stony figure she recognized from her grandfather's stories about his past as a Teen Titan. "Cinderblock," Red X darkly addressed the giant entity, "you know what to do." Pressing a button on his utility belt, X disappeared into thin air.

Cinderblock reached down towards Batgirl, who immediately struggled hard against her bonds in spite of being stiff from the cold. Upon feeling the strong, stony hands, she let out a horrified scream. She grunted painfully as she was thrown hard against a group of crates. The wood broke and cut her back through her suit, causing more blood to ooze out from the old and new cuts.

Batgirl managed to grab a wooden spar with her bound hands as Cinderblock stomped towards her once more. Coba quickly used the wood to cut through her bonds, but by the time she got it to get a hold of the X around her arms and chest Cinderblock was hovering over her, reaching to grab her again. She squirmed weakly to try to get away, only for her constricted legs to be grabbed by the giant. The girl cried out in dismay and agony as she was thrown with more force into another cluster of crates, the impact causing her to lose her hold of the spar and have the wind knocked out of her lungs. Coba tried to scream, but her throat was suddenly tightened with horror. She could only watch fearfully as Cinderblock clubbed his fists together and prepared to slam them down on her.

_This attack is going to kill me_, Coba thought grimly. _I can't scream anymore, radio for back up, or fight back. _Tears began to well up in her eyes as she closed them._ I'm going to die without saying goodbye to my loved ones._

"Back off, dreg!"

The sound of the voice and a sudden crash caused Coba to open her eyes in shock. Behind the thick curtain of rain, a costumed figure was standing over a fallen Cinderblock as the large entity started to stand up once more. The newcomer dodged Cinderblock's enormous fists as they punched at them repeatedly, taking a few of the blows but fighting on as though they were not hurt at all. The intruder immediately jumped over the villain aggressively yet skillfully. Without a moment's hesitation, they flipped Cinderblock to the ground once more with more gusto. The large villain was instantly rendered unconscious by the attack.

Brooklyn was stunned by what had just happened, but the moment of shock was brought to an abrupt end as the figure—whom she could now see was wearing a black suit with royal blue trim and a helmet with a retractable visor—walked towards her. She grunted uncomfortably and tried to scoot backwards in alarm. The figure knelt down beside her, then retracted his visor—which had a secondary mask beneath it—and gently placed a hand on her left shoulder.

"Easy, Batgirl," a strangely familiar voice said calmly from the figure as he looked into her eyes reassuringly. "I'm here to help you." He pulled off the X covering her mouth as carefully as he could, but both he and Coba knew it would still hurt her in spite of her Batmask covering her full face. "Sorry," he said a bit shyly. "There isn't really a better way to do it."

Coba could only stare at her rescuer in amazement as he ripped off the two other Xs and staunched the bleeding from her wounds, finally putting a name to his voice. After a brief moment, her voice weakly squeaked, "Thank you, Mark." _Wilson_, she mentally added.

The surprised look on his face gave away that Coba was correct about his identity, but he shook it off. "Silverstar," he gently corrected her. "I go by Silverstar." He noticed a piece of paper that was stuck on Coba. After studying it a moment, he handed it to her. "Looks like someone wanted you dead to send a message."

"I don't doubt it," Coba said grimly, putting the paper in a pouch on her utility belt. "My vision's... too blurry... to read it," she explained, noticing Mark's confused look.

Silverstar nodded in understanding before he gingerly yet quickly lifted her into his arms, knowing from her massive loss of blood that she would not be able to stand. "Hang on," he instructed. "Let's get you out of the cold."

Brooklyn grimly complied and held on to him as he silently took to the air. _He's not using jets_, she realized with a jolt after a few moments. _He can fly on his own!_ Her loss of blood had made it hard for her to stay conscious, but she kept her eyes open and focused on the torn symbol on her chest. Even though it was not a welcoming sight, it was something to keep her mind on to avoid falling into a dangerous sleep. _Well, at least it's not too revealing_, she thought thankfully. _And I'm glad the suit's starting to function again. Those Xs must've shut it down._ "Where... are we going?" she feebly asked her rescuer.

"To the place I'm staying," Mark answered. "You'll be safe there." _Safer than the T Tower, where the note said she was taken from_, he thought, not realizing Coba heard him.

"But... Nightwing... he'll be concerned," Coba rasped.

"After we've gotten your wounds treated, we'll try to contact him. For now, try not to speak: it'll wear you out too much."

Batgirl nodded, knowing Mark was right about her talking. _I hope Grandfather and the others are alright_, she silently prayed.

~!~

Nightwing sped through the rain-covered streets of Jump City on his Wingcycle. Drops of rain splattered on his helmet and visor, making it difficult to see. The engine's noise was muffled by a contraption designed to not only quieten the engine, but to help speed up the bike without overheating it. The hero's only eye narrowed determinedly and effectively ignored the distracting water as he recalled who had created the contraption. "Hang on, Coba," he did not notice himself murmur, "hang on."

To Dick's surprise, the radar on his radio picked up a signal that slowly got stronger. He realized with a jolt that the signal was almost directly above him and looked up to see a costumed figure carrying a smaller person in their arms. _That's Coba! _he thought. His surprise was quickly replaced by a sense of urgency. He quickly turned his motorcycle around and followed suit, but fell behind his granddaughter and the person carrying her. Although they were out of sight as soon as he had seen them, Dick kept checking the radar in the Wingcycle to keep track of where they were heading. He was a bit disconcerted when he figured out that where they were going was not the T Tower, yet he kept his vehicle going at high speed without losing control. _Please let her be alright._

~!~

After a couple minutes of fast flying, Silverstar landed on the roof of an abandoned warehouse. Batgirl slightly shivered at the sudden warmth of the building as they entered, then grunted as the pain from her wounds became increasingly unbearable. Silverstar moved faster through the warehouse as this happened. Coba groggily looked around the warehouse, taken aback by some of what she saw: a small table with medical equipment, bio-scanners, and nanoscopic healing drones inside gun-shaped syringes; an operating table next to the small table; a refrigerator; an oven; a bed; a sink; two chairs; and a cage with a furry animal inside.

Mark noticed Coba's gaze fall upon the cage as he gently placed her on the operating table. "My ferret Velvet lives in there," he said awkwardly, yet with a sense of pride. "I'll introduce you to her later."

The girl nodded in understanding. "Okay," she said weakly.

The young man quickly checked her with a bio-scanner to make sure she did not have any internal wounds aside from slashed arteries, then worked quickly yet gingerly on the wounds. After making sure the bleeding had stopped, he seeped the water out of her suit with towels, and washed out the bad bacteria from the injuries before stitching them shut. He handed her a glass cup of medicated drinking water. "Drink this," he instructed gently. "It has medications in it to help you recover from your blood loss."

Coba carefully examined it for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. With great effort, she lifted the glass to her mouth and drank the contents slowly. She allowed Mark to take the cup once she was finished. "Thank you."

Silverstar grinned and bowed comically. "Always ready to help a damsel in distress."

Batgirl chuckled a little in spite of herself. "I'm a bit... glad for that. It's... a scary situation."

"I'll bet." Mark placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, receiving a small grin from her in response. "Well, you're safe now."

Coba weakly grinned bigger. "Thanks again."

Mark smiled back. "No problem." He paused for a moment. "To be honest, I'm surprised you don't have any broken bones as well," he marveled. "Cinderblock tossed you around pretty bad."

"Probably the... Tamaranean blood that's in me," Coba suggested.

Wilson nodded. "Makes sense. Get some rest, now."

"But what about... Nightwing?" the girl inquired. "He's still... out there!"

"I'll see if I can contact him," the young man reassured her.

Before Coba could reply, a costumed man walked in. "No need for that," he said curtly. He stopped and looked at Batgirl. "You okay, kid?" he asked concernedly.

Coba felt tears of relief roll down her cheeks behind her Batmask. "Grandfather!" she cried out weakly, too relieved by his presence to answer his question.

Nightwing could tell by her body language exactly what she had been through that night, and was by her side in an instant. "Easy," he said quietly, pulling her into a hug. He gently rubbed her back as she returned the hug and softly cried into his chest. "I'm here, kid."

Batgirl relaxed immensely after a moment, but remained troubled. She had many questions for him, mostly concerning Red X and the teens at the tower, yet she felt too tired to speak. Dick noticed her tiredness and seemed to read her thoughts. "Don't strain yourself," he gently instructed. "I'll answer any questions you have once you've rested."

The girl nodded in understanding. After a few moments she closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take over, still in her grandfather's protective arms.

Grayson looked at Wilson a minute later. "Is there something she can sleep on that's better than the table?" he asked quietly.

Mark was clearly still surprised at Coba's title for the older hero and at her sudden emotional breakdown, but managed to pull himself out of his shock. "There's a couch just over there," he answered, gesturing to the small living space set up in the middle of the room. "There's also a bed in the other room, but it's no better than the table."

Dick nodded, then gingerly got down from the table, careful not to wake Coba. He gently lay her on the sofa before putting a pillow beneath her head and covering her with a blanket. _I remember over a year ago when I had to do this_, he thought grimly. Pushing the memory aside, he turned to Mark. "I don't know who you are or if I can trust you, but you have my thanks for saving her."

"Glad to have helped," Mark grinned. His smile faded after a moment. "Someone named Red X left a note on her before he left her to die, saying something about getting overdue revenge on you and the Titans. I know you and Batgirl are related, but why would he attack her like he did and leave the 'others' alone?"

The man's expression darkened. "He tried to kill them as well, but from what I can only guess, Batgirl managed to save them before she was taken. I don't know why else he would try to kill her aside from getting at me and the Titans. Do you still have that note you spoke of?"

"I gave it to Batgirl," Silverstar answered. "It's still in her utility belt." He noticed a look of guilt on Nightwing's face. "None of this is your fault, Nightwing."

"Some of it is," Grayson countered. "I created Red X when I was still Robin. If I hadn't created that suit, Coba wouldn't have gotten hurt!" He face-palmed, realizing he had just revealed Batgirl's true identity. _Darn it, Dick._

Wilson's eyes grew wide. "Coba? As in _Coba Brooklyn_?"

Dick hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.

Mark looked at Coba's sleeping form in shock. "So _that's_ how she knew me." _And why Grandfather targeted both her and Batgirl_, he thought grimly._ They're one and the same!_

"What?" Dick inquired.

"We were classmates in high school," the teen boy explained. "We didn't really talk much, so I'm surprised she recognized me right off."

"Who are you?"

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Mark removed his visor and mask. "My name is Mark Wilson."

Grayson raised his left eyebrow. "Are you of relation to Slade Wilson?"

Silverstar nodded, his expression darkening. "Yes," he replied. "He was my grandfather."

* * *

**Sorry, I couldn't really end the chapter better, since there were so many parts I've written that would work better in the next chap. I still don't know exactly what the note said, though. Aside from trying to get Grayson more riled up, that is.**

**Raven was reading **_**The Green Mile **_**because of its dark themes, which she seems to enjoy in the **_**Teen Titans**_** TV series, and because she's often seen reading books. I haven't read the book, but I've seen bits of the movie and was told about some of it by my parents and brother. **

**Mark Wilson/Silverstar and the ferret Velvet (who will later be shown) belong to Silverlynx13. Thank you for letting me borrow your characters and giving some suggestions, my friend! :D**

**Please leave a review below and have a great rest of your day! :D**


	7. Chapter 6: Determination

**Titans Tower**

Nightstar, Changeling, Impulse, and Ed all sat miserably in a small room. Their superiors had forced them to leave the living room for the Titans to discuss their current situation. Ian and Ed listened intently to the conversation through the door, Ian quietly telling their companions what they heard.

"They're worried for Nightwing and Batgirl," the boy whispered.

"We all are," Nightstar retorted in a low voice. "Why won't they do something?"

Ian listened for a moment longer before replying, "They're afraid to leave us alone here again, in case of an attack."

"So they're thinking of us as little babies now because we had to be saved?" Mar'i snorted. "That's not what Batgirl would want."

"You're right," Ian agreed. "She'd want us to be safe, but not molly-coddled like she sometimes was—_is_—by Nightwing," he corrected himself. _I've got to think and speak positively_, he thought.

"We can't just sit here, either," the teen girl added. "If they're in trouble, they'll need help!"

"Keep it down!" Bart reminded her in a hoarse whisper. "They could still hear us."

The teenagers remained silent for a few minutes to be sure that they were not heard. "You're right, Nightstar," Bart whispered grimly. "We can't sit around when they're still out there."

"But you know the adults won't let us out of their sight after Red X attacked," Ian pointed out.

"Then we sneak out," Mar'i said with a determined smirk. "They're not paying much attention right now, anyway."

"That's right!" Bart agreed. "This is the best time to do so. Let's go!"

Changeling remained doubtful. "They'll likely yell at us for leaving without permission, though," he said quietly.

Nightstar fixed him with a glare. "So you'd rather stay here and let Batgirl die?" she snarled.

"No, not that at all!" Ian protested. "It's just..." He trailed off. After a brief moment of consideration, he sighed. "Fine, I'll go too."

"Same here!" Ed squeaked through an animal communicator he had grabbed from Coba before her capture. He immediately went behind a chair in the room, then jumped out less than a minute later wearing his own Batsuit. "I'm Batrat!" he declared, a slight growl in his voice.

The children had to bite their lips and cover their mouths to keep from laughing. "Coba made you that?" Ian asked between small giggles. "I didn't think she'd let you fight crime!"

Ed snorted and puffed out his chest in annoyance. "_I_ made this suit!" he snapped. "I go as I please." _Although Mom doesn't allow it_, he mentally added. _I usually just do the groundwork._

"Fine," Nightstar said, rolling her eyes at the rat. "Just don't get in the way."

"But how do we get out of here without being spotted?" Bart whispered.

"Through the vent for a bit," Ed replied quietly before the others could. "Then we can get out and leave once we're out of the adults' sight." He noticed the teens' looks of shock at his statement. "What? I work with escape artists, remember?"

"It'll work," Ian agreed with Ed. "Lead the way, little-big guy."

In spite of her annoyance at the green-skinned boy giving orders, Mar'i allowed him, Ed and Bart to go in first before taking the rear, closing the vent behind them. However, none of them were prepared for the dangers that awaited them outside the tower...

~!~

An uneasy silence engulfed the room after Mark's confession. Dick could only stare at the young man in shock. _He's Deathstroke's grandson_, he struggled to come to quips with. _The grandson of one of my greatest enemies just saved my granddaughter. Could he just be another kid playing hero, or does he expect something in return for his good deed? Or_, he thought with dread, _is he just pretending to be a hero and a friend just to betray us later?_

A loud clanging disrupted the silence, causing both men to look towards a particular corner of the warehouse where Velvet, a female sable ferret, was to see her slamming her food bowl against the bars. Coba groaned weakly and stirred a little at the disruption, then winced as she strained her injured body parts. "Sounds like Velvet's hungry," Mark said quietly, standing up. He quickly yet quietly hovered to Velvet's cage before opening it and taking out the food bowl. After filling the bowl with fresh food, he placed it back in the cage. Velvet made small dook-ing sounds in appreciation, then started eating her food as Mark closed the cage once more. He walked back to the duo, noticing Coba was awake. "How is she?" he asked quietly, nodding to the girl.

Nightwing grimly sat by Batgirl, gently holding her left hand in his. "She has a bit of a fever," he said sagely.

"I feel a little better than I did before, though," Coba stated in a weak voice, though it was stronger and steadier than it had been just before she fell asleep. "The medicine's working."

"Good," Mark said in a quiet, gladdened voice. "The fever will pass in a little while."

"Okay," Brooklyn responded. She tiredly glanced at Dick, sensing his distrust towards Mark. "Don't be alarmed of him, Grandfather," she said gently. "It doesn't matter if he's related to Deathstroke; I know we can trust him."

Grayson was silent for a moment, glancing slowly from Coba to Mark. "Alright, kiddo," he complied at last, feeling a little more relaxed towards the young man. _Well, if Coba says we can trust him, I believe her_, he thought. _It won't be easy to get along with the fact that Mark's Slade's grandson, but I'll manage. Besides, Coba's grandmother used to be a thief, and that made things a little rocky at first, primarily when Coba stayed with me when she had the flu. Look at how we get along now!_

Coba noticed Mark's shock as she looked back at him. "I overheard your conversation as I slept," she explained, knowing what was confusing him. "Of course, I had already found out."

"You... you did?" Mark asked, surprised.

"Well, by reading your mind," Coba confessed. "I didn't mean to, though. I'm sorry. It happens on its own."

Wilson was surprised at his new knowledge of Batgirl, but smiled harmlessly. "Don't be sorry. Not everyone can control their powers."

"I know," Brooklyn said sadly. She looked at Grayson, her face even more grim as she sat up. "Grandfather, are the others alright?"

"Yes," Dick answered. "They're a bit shaken up and worried about you, but they're okay. Can you tell me what happened?"

Coba nodded solemnly, then told him about the showdown at the tower and the moments leading to her being brought to the warehouse. She started to shake as she recalled being beaten by Cinderblock, and it got worse as she finished her tale. "I thought I wouldn't be able to tell you goodbye," she whispered.

Dick hugged her tightly, but not enough to choke her. "I'm sorry, kid," he murmured. "I should've been there."

"But the robbery that took place—" Coba started.

"—was a false alarm," Nightwing finished.

Batgirl's eyes widened at this, but she quickly regained composure. "You had no way of knowing," she said calmly. "But I doubt it was just a false alarm."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, consider the timing," she explained. "That alarm and Red X's break-in at the tower were timed too perfectly for it to be a coincidence. This was premeditated. X meant to kill the others in the tower and take me to have me killed somewhere else, and he couldn't have done that if you, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg were there." Coba looked in her grandfather's only eye sagely. "And yet, when I read his mind, I found he was somewhat hesitant to do so."

"He's tough and fights for his personal gain, but he's never been known to be a cold-blooded killer," Dick noted.

Coba was silent for a moment. "He... he said he was your creation," she said quietly, nervous about what the one-eyed man's reaction would be. "What was he talking about?"

Grayson released her from his embrace, his expression more grave than before. "Kid, I... I should've told you about this long ago," he said quietly. "Listen closely, because I don't want to repeat it again.

"Yes, I did create the Red X persona. But it wasn't because I wanted to become a criminal: it was to get in on Slade's plans. I didn't even tell my friends about it for fear they'd hold back if they knew I was X." Dick's only eye dimmed with pain and sorrow. "In the end, Slade figured it out, and my friendship with the Titans was greatly strained after that. I locked that suit away in a secret vault not because I planned to use it again, but because I had used a dangerous chemical called Xenothium to make it."

He felt Coba grip his right hand reassuringly, but she said nothing, yet he knew she did not have to. Drawing in another breath, he continued. "About a year passed before we received an alert about a robbery. When we came face to face with the thief, we were surprised to see that it was someone else wearing the Red X suit. After a short yet gruelling fight, he got away. I later checked the vault I had put the suit in; it was empty. I knew X would run out of Xenothium for the suit soon, so the Titans and I located it and X, only for my friends and the Xenothium to be taken away by an old villain named Professor Chang.

"I tracked down Chang as he was preparing to destroy the city," Dick continued. "My friends were frozen in ice blocks, unable to get free and help. At one point, I lost my footing. I couldn't get myself back up, and I was certain I was going to fall to my death."

Mark and Coba were clearly gripped by his tale. "What happened then?" Mark inquired.

"I felt a hand grab mine," Grayson replied, "then I was back on a solid platform. I was surprised to see X, but... well... relieved nonetheless," he admitted, a bit embarrassed. He shook his head, then continued. "We fought side by side, saving the Titans and the city, and stopping Chang. In the end, though, it was clear that X was still a thief. He escaped before we could detain him, but we knew we'd see him again." He looked down solemnly. "I just wish he hadn't done what he did tonight."

"So do I, Grandfather," Brooklyn murmured. "At the same time, I should've fought better."

"You did your best at the time, you always do," Dick reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Coba could not get herself to grin at his remark. _But did I? _she wondered. _Or was I holding back because of what Raven said earlier about my powers? _

Grayson seemed to read her mind. "Don't blame yourself for what happened, kid," he said quietly. "It's X's fault for this mess."

"I'm not too sure," Brooklyn replied. "Not just because of my performance, but because I have a feeling he's not in this alone, not even with just Cinderblock."

"I was thinking the same thing," Mark stated. "Based on what little I already knew about Red X and what you've both said so far, it's not like him to do something like this on his own. Plus, it would explain how the Titans received the call just before his attack. He can disappear, yes, but he can't be that quick unless he's a Flash."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Coba nodded. "But who would set up something like this?" Her eyes widened in horror. "Deathstroke," she gasped.

Silverstar nodded after a few heartbeats of considering this, a glint of anger mixed with the sorrow in his eyes. "I'm afraid so."

"But Deathstroke's dead," Coba said solemnly. "I could tell Dam—_the CADMUS agent _who told us," she quickly corrected, "was telling the truth. Unless..." She suppressed a shiver. "Unless X, Cinderblock and a handful of others are carrying out one of his plans."

"It's a possibility," Mark sagely agreed. "Deathstroke was good at manipulating others into carrying out his tasks."

"Why would they strike after his death, though?" Coba wondered. "What would cause them to?"

Grayson placed a reassuring hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "I'm not sure, but we'll find out," he promised her. His granddaughter relaxed at his words, but an all-too familiar look of dread appeared on her face after several moments. "What is it?" he asked concernedly.

Coba's eyes were wide with fear. "The team," she said in a tight whisper. "Something's wrong, but I can't tell what."

As if to confirm what the girl was saying, the alarm system Dick had from the tower went off. He looked at the communicator, surprised to see who it was. "Starfire?"

_"Nightwing, it's the children!" _Starfire said frantically.

"Calm down," he said calmly. "What happened?"

_"They're gone!" _came Koriand'r's reply. _"They must have gone looking for you and Batgirl!"_

Dick's only eye betrayed his concern for the three teens. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for them."

_"Did you find Batgirl?"_ Starfire inquired.

"Yeah, she's safe now."

The Tamaranean breathed out a sigh of relief. _"I'm glad for that. We're heading out of the Tower to search for them."_

"No, Star," Dick said urgently. "You and the others should stay in case they return."

_"Have you forgotten who Mar'i's mother is?"_ Starfire snapped.

"No, I haven't," the one-eyed warrior replied. "I haven't forgotten who her father is, either."

Starfire was silent for a moment, though Coba and Dick could both sense her anger building up with each passing second. _"I'm still going,"_ she said firmly. _"Beast Boy's son is out there too, and Cyborg's cousin. Raven already said she's staying behind to watch the monitors."_

Nightwing sighed. "Fine," he gave in. "Just be careful."

_"You too, Nightwing,"_ Starfire replied in a softer voice. Without another word, she turned off the communicator speaker.

Grayson hung up as well, then stood up abruptly. "Stay here," he instructed the two teens as he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Mark inquired.

"Into the city. They'll need help."

"But this could be a set up for your enemies to find Batgirl and kill her," the young man said urgently. "If they see you step outside or find your communicator's signal, they'll attack."

Dick stopped at Mark's statement. _I hadn't thought of that_, he realized. "You're right, Wilson. I don't want her to get hurt again," he said after a moment.

"Neither do I," Mark atoned.

"I'm touched by your concern for me," Batgirl said sincerely to both of them, "but the others _do_ need help. Isn't there a way to get to the tower from underground?" she asked suddenly.

"Through the sewer, yes," Nightwing answered. His only eye widened in realization. "So our enemies won't see or find me."

"Exactly," Coba grinned.

"There's a hidden door underneath the couch," Mark suggested. "Its tunnel goes through the sewage system."

Coba got up from the couch, nodding to Mark to move it to show them. He pushed the couch aside and lifted the rug a bit, revealing a trap door hidden on the floor. "Good," Dick grinned approvingly. "This'll work."

Mark flipped over the rug to fully show the door. Coba bent down and opened it, then went down the hole. "Well, we going or not?"

Dick shook his head. "You're not going," he said firmly. "You need to stay and recover."

Brooklyn looked at him seriously. "Grandfather, this is too big for you to handle alone. Even if Silverstar goes with you and I'm left here alone, we're all still at risk of getting hurt or worse. Besides, my aunt's out there, remember?"

Nightwing held the girl's gaze for a moment, then sighed in defeat. _And she would know, because she's a psychic_, he thought ruefully. "Fine, but don't join fights should any break out, and let us know if you get tired."

"Okay," Coba agreed, in spite of feeling a bit irritated. _I'm not totally helpless just because I got kidnapped and hurt earlier_, she mentally protested. She looked at Mark. "You coming with?" she inquired.

Silverstar hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I may as well," he said. "Like you said before, Nightwing and the others will need help."

The small warrior grinned in appreciation, then climbed to the bottom of the hole and waited for the two men. She watched as Nightwing took the lead and Mark closed the door behind them, making sure the rug covered it again. Coba walked between her companions, keeping up perfectly with Nightwing's fast strides without getting tired. They entered the slimy, rancid sewer less than a minute later, and they knew it would be a while yet before they got to the tower. However, neither of the three heroes complained. All that mattered to them was that they reached the teens in time.

~!~

Three figures, two different sized males and one female, stared down at the streets from where they stood on a roof, shadowed by a large sign behind them that blocked the moonlight. "I can't believe you let that Batrunt get away, X," one of them, a woman, growled.

"It wasn't my fault Cinderblock couldn't handle her," Red X retorted.

"You should have planned for it!" the woman snapped.

"Just like you should've counted on your unruly niece not returning to you like you asked her to?" X snarled.

"Talking to Nightstar was a mistake," the woman stated, rolling her eyes. "I realize she's too much like my sister and Nightwing. I hoped we could use her to get inside info on the others."

"But she's too noble," the thief snorted.

The bigger male, Mammoth, pointed at the streets below. "Look!" he exclaimed.

Following Mammoth's gaze, Blackfire and Red X were stunned to see three teenage figures striding purposefully yet cautiously through the streets, a large rodent riding on the shoulders of one of them. Blackfire was surprised as she recognized one of them, but replaced her shock with an evil grin to hide her sudden dread. "This is perfect," she murmured. "The children and the Titans are separated again."

Red X noticed Blackfire's reluctance, but chose not to question her about it, knowing their plans would not work if she had killed him for prying into her personal feelings. "What do you say to taking two birds with one stone?"

Blackfire's smirk grew. "Why not?" As she knew Mammoth was already lost, she told him, "You stay here and wait for our word." Without waiting for him to speak, she and Red X left him on the roof. _This time, my dear sister, you won't get off as easily as you have before. I wish I didn't have to go against Nightstar, but I'll do anything to take you down and get what I deserve._

* * *

**Wow, so Blackfire has feelings for Nightstar... I'm not sure if she really would, but I do like the idea of villains having a soft spot for certain others. And why exactly is Red X going against his original nature by trying to kill others? This question and more will be answered later on. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know when you leave a review or send a PM to me so I can keep them in mind.**

**I'm so sorry it took longer to get this chapter done and posted. I just started college and have had a hard time getting motivated to write in my spare time. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next one done, but please know that I'll definitely keep working at it. **

**A large amount of thanks goes to everyong who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story so far. It makes me happy to know that this story is enjoyable to others aside from myself! :D**

**Please leave a review below and have a great day! :D**


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